Machine for japanning small articles.



PATENTED APR. 1l, 1905.

T. A. PLRRINS.

MACHINE FOR JAPANNING SMALL ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 ooooooooo W T N ESS ES I fmf ATTORNEY PATENTED APR. ll, 1905.

T. A. PBRRINS. MACHINE FOR JAPANNING SMALLARTIGLBS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.18, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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7L INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented April 11, 1905.

UNTTTLD STATES PATENT @Trice 'lllOIAS A. PERKINS, OF SEYMOUR, CONNICCTIUUT.

lllACHlNE FOR JAPANNING SMALL ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,213, dated April 11, 1905.

Applicatian filedlovenilxer18,1904. Serial No. 233,377.

le it hnown that l, 'lnoMAs A. Prnmixs, a citizen ot the United States, residing' at Scymom', county ot New Haven, State ot Connecticut, have invented a new and uset'ul Machine t'or .lapanning Small Articles, ot which the lollowing' is a specilication.

A\ly invention relates to machines for Ijapanning' eyelets and other small articles, and has l'or its general object to simplit'y and improve the construction in order, lirst, to reduce the cost ot the machines, and` second, t0 malte them easy to clean and to greatly improve their operation in use.

'l`he class ot' machines to which the invention relates is illustrated and described in my t'ormer Letters latent No. TOLSl. June 3, 19H2, and No. 725,006, `\lay 19,1903. lnthese. machines the eyelets or other articles are'carried hy an endless helt having' holes to receive them and are iapauned, and the japan is halted thereon while they are still being' carried by the helt.

lt is one ot' the objects ot' this invention to produce a ,iapanning-machine so constructed as to permit ot the japan being' placed upon the articles hy means ot' a plain cylindrical roller, which may be either hard or sott, depending' upon the quality otl japan that is to he used.

A t'urther object ot' the invention is to produce a 'iai)anning-machine in which the japantroug'li shall he formed hy the japanning'- roller, a feed-roller, and end pieces.

t'urther object ot the invention is to pro duce a .iapzmningmachine in which the japan:

ning-roller shall he adapted to move vertically, so as to prevent injury to either the japauning'1'oller or the carrying-belt should an eyelet or other article be inverted or in any way misplaced in the carrying-helt.

A t'urther object ot the invention is to produce a iapanning-machine in which the eyei lets or other articles to be operated upon shall he heid in contact with the .iapanning-roller hy a rest having' ribs which support the helt and channels in which the eyelets lie and which in the lorm in which a soft japanniIig-roller is used are, constructed to raise the eyelets into close engagement with the roller.

A turther object ot' the invention is to provide a japanning'-m:u:hine in which the carrying-helt shall rest upon a supporting'-plate provided with grooves to receive the lower end ot the eyelets and with retaining-Springs by which the articles are held against removal trom the helt hy the iapalining-roller.

A t'urther object otI the invention is to produce a iapanning machine in which an endless metallic carrying-helt shall rest upon a supporting'-plate t'ree to move laterally in either direction, so as to he self-adjusting' to slight inequalities in the helt, thereby minimizing' friction between articles carried by the belt and the supportiiig-plate, lesseniug' the power required to run the machine, and greatly increasing' the durability ot the belt and causing' it to run smoothly at all times.

\\"ith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain constructions and in certain parts, improvements, and combinations, which will be hereinafter described and then specifically pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

ln the accompanying' drawings, forming' a part ot' this specilicat-ion, in which lilv'e characters ot' reference indicate the same parts, Fig'ure l is a plan view ot one end ot' a japanning-machine, illustrating the subject-matter ot' my present invention; Fig. 2, a section on the line Q '2 in Fig'. l, showing one of the adjustable bearings ot' the liapanning-roller; Fig'. 3, a section on the line 23 3 in Fig'. 1; Fig'. l, a section on a g'reatly-enlarged scale on the line 4r in Fig'. T, showing' the grooved supporting-plate, retaining-springs, and g'rooved rest 1n plan; Fig. 5, a section ot the japanning-roller, the feed-roller, and the guideplate corresponding' with Fig'. 3, but showing' a modilication ol the rest to adapt it tor use with a so't't liapanning-roller; Fig'. (S, a similar section illustrating a modilied t'orm in which the roller-rest is dispensed with and the belt is supported at its point ot Contact with the japanning-roller hy means ot' a g'rooved rest which is a continuation ot the supporting'- plate', and Fig'. T is a vertical section on the line i T in Figs. l and L), showing the japanning'-roller, supporti11g-plate, and one form ot roller-rest in elevation.

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Referring to the drawings,A denotes an endless metallic carrying-belt having' holes or perforations 10 to adapt it to receive small articles, as eyelets, and B a pulley over which one end of the carrying-belt passes. This pulley is shown as carried by a shaft 11, journaled in bearings 12 and having a belt-pulley 18, over which a driving-belt (not shown) passes. At the other end of shaft 11 is a smaller belt-pulley 14, from which a belt (not shown) extends to a similar belt-pulley 15 on the shaft 16 of a roller E, which for convenience I will term the feed-roller.

C denotes the japanning-roller, which is carried by ashaft 17. The ends of shafts 16 and 17 opposite to belt-pulley 15 are provided with intermeshing gear-wheels 18 of the same size. The shaft 16 of the feed-roller is journaled in boxes 19, which are provided with extensions 20, said boxes and extensions being rigidly secured to the framework of the machine, which as a whole I have indicated by D. rIhe shaft 17 of the japanning-roller is journaled in boxes 21, which are adjustably secured to end plates 22. The rear ends of these end plates are pivoted on feed-roller shaft 16 and lie closely in contact with the ends of the feed-roller and japanning-roller. rlhe space between the upper portion of the feed-roller and japanning-roller and the end plates comprises the japan-trough, which I have indicated by F. In practice the machine is so speeded as to give to the japanning-roller a surface speed just equal to the speed at which the carrying-belt is moving forward. It will be noted that the feed-roller is smaller than the japanning-roller, and consequently has a slightly slower surface speed, the effect of which is to insure an even distribution of the japan upon the japanning-roller. In practice the japanning-roller is so adjusted relatively to the feed-roller as to permit a suiiicient quantity of japan to pass onto the japanning-roller below the point of contiguity of said roller with the japanning-roller to japan the articles upon the carrying-belt. The adjustment of boxes 21, in which the japanning-roller shaft is journaled, is effected by means of bolts 23, which turn freely in bosses 24, projecting from the end plates, are held against endwise movement therein by collars 25, and are threaded to engage the boxes, so that rotation of the bolts will move the boxes, carrying with them the japanning-roller toward or from the feed-roller, as may be required. In order to insure the perfect alinement of boxes 21 in changing the adjustment, I provide guide-pins 26, which are socketed accurately half in end plates 22 and half in the boxes, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, said guidepins being provided with heads which engage the outer ends of the end pieces. After adjustment the boxes are locked in place by being clamped to the end pieces by means of bolts 27, whichpass through elongated openings in the boxes and engage the end plates, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted in Fig. 2 that boxes 21 normally rest upon extensions 20. Should an eyelet or other article, however, pass to the japanning-roller when inverted or in any way incorrectly seated in the carrying-belt, the end plates will simply swing on shafts 16 and permit the japanningroller to be lifted by the incorrectly-placed eyelet or other article, so that no damage can be done either to the japanning-roller or the carrying-belt, the japanning-roller dropping' back by gravity to its operative position as soon as the incorrectlyplaced eyelet has passed and remaining in operative position until again raised. In order to prevent the possibility of the eyelets getting out of the holes in the carrying-belt before they reach the japanning-roller, I provide a guard-plate 28 over the carrying-belt, which extends forward from a cross-piece 29, shown as secured to boxes 19. As a support for the carryingbelt as it approaches the japanning-roller I provide a supporting-plate G, having ribs 30, which support the belt, and between the ribs channels 31, in which the lower ends of the eyelets or other articles to be japanned lie as they are carried along by the belt. In front of the supporting-plate and immediately beneath the japanning-roller I provide a rest H, having ribs 32, corresponding with ribs 30, upon which the belt rests, and between the ribs channels 33, corresponding' with channels 31, in which the ends of the eyelets or other articles lie as they are carried along by the belt. rIhis rest may be a roller L, journaled in the framework, as in Figs. 3, 5, and 7, or, if preferred, the rest may be an extension of the supporting-plate, as indicated by /i in Fig. 6, as will be more fully explained. In order to prevent the japanned eyelets from adhering to the japanning-roller and being drawn out of the holes in the carrying-belt as the surface of the japanning-roller moves upward away from the belt, I provide in in channels 31 in the supporting-plate springretainers 34e, which may be fiat springs, as indicated in Fig. 3, or may be made of round wire, as in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. Either one or two spring-retainers may be provided in each channel, as preferred. In practiceIhave found one spring-retainer quite sucient and have' therefore illustrated the use of one retainer only in the drawings. Where two springretainers are used, they of course engage opposite sides of the eyelet or other article. l/Vhere one spring-retainer is used, as shown in the drawings, that retainer engages one side of the eyelet under'the carrying-belt and presses the opposite side of the eyelet against the wall of the hole in the belt in which it is seated. Each eyelet is therefore retained in the belt and prevented from adhering to the japanning-roller by being pressed by the retaining-spring against one side of a hole in IOO IZO

the carrying-belt. The rear ends of the retaiiiing-springs may be soldered or riveted to ribs 30, as in Fig. et, or the rear ends of said springs may be bent at an angle and eng'aged in holes in the bottom of the channels, as indicated in Figs. and 6.

The iapanning-roller may be made of any suitable material, as metal, vulcanized fiber, or rubber, and may be hard or soft, depending upon the class of work that is to be done,

and especially upon the consistency of the japan that is to be used. In using colored liapaiu which is usually thinner than black liapan, l preferably use a relatively soft rubber japanning-roller or else a japanning-roller covered over with a layer of soft rubber.

ln Fig'. B the rest H, by which the belt and the eyelets carried thereby are supported while the tops of the eyelets are being' covered with japan by the japanning-roller, is itself a roller loosely journaled in the framework just forward of the supporting-plate and having' channels and ribs corresponding with the supporting-plate.

in Fig'. 5 l have illustrated roller used as a rest and especially adapted for use with a soft,japanning-roller. It will be noted in Fig. that the channels are much shallower than in Fig'. 3, so that the eyelets at the instant of their contact with the iapanning-roller are lifted up by engagement with the bottoms of the shallow channels and are slightly embedded in the softjapanning'roller, thereby insuring that the entire face of each eyelet will be covered over with japan, this Vform of rest being' especially adapted for use when colored or any thin japan is used. 1f preferred, the roller may be dispensed with and the rest may be an extension of the supporting-plate, as /1 in Fig. (5. \\'here this form of rest is used with colored orother thin japan, I preferably provide the rest with a rounded transverse rib the operation of which is to raise the eyelets slightly as they are carried over it, so as to embed them slightly in the japanningroller, as in the other form and as clearly shown.

lt. will of course be understood that it is practically impossible to make a metallic carrying-belt of the great length that is required so perfect that it will run absolutely true. In order to compensate 'for inevitable inequalities iu the carrying-belt, I so mount the supporting-plate on the framework as to leave it free to oscillate laterally, as it may tend to run in either direction, owing to inequalities. In the present instance l have shown the supporting-plate as resting upon rollers 35, lying loosely i'n sockets 36 in supporting-lugs 3T, which extend inward from the framework. (See Figs. and T.) The edges of the belt are retained loosely in grooves 38 in the inner faces of the framework. (See Fig. l.) The Yfriction of the articles carried by the belt, however, upon the sides of the ribs of the supporting-plate is reduced to the minimum, owing to the perfect freedom of the supporting-plate to move laterally in either direction as it may be impelled by the inequalities of the belt.

For ordinary use a moderately hard japanningroller may be used and a roller /1y may be used as a rest, as in Fig'. 3. As already stated, if a colored or any thin japan is used l preferably use a relatively soft japanningroller and use with it, as a rest, a roller having relatively shallow channels, as in Fig. 5, or else use a form in which the roller is dispensed with and the rest is an extension of the supporting-plate and is provided with a transverse rounded rib /lfi1 as in Fig. 6, either of which constructions acts to raise the eyelets or other articles slightly at the instant they are in contact with the japanning-roller, so that the heads of the eyelets or other articles to be japanned are slightly embedded in the relatively soft japanning-roller, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, and are sure to be thoroughly coated over with the japan. 'here a roller /t is used as a rest for the belt at the instant the japanning operation is performed, it is of course necessary to provide for the endwise movement of said roller in conjunction with the supporting-plate. This may be accomplished by journaling' said roller loosely in the framework, so that its journal, which is indicated by 39, may have free cndwise movement. l have shown this roller as held in position relative to the supporting-plate, so as to move laterally therewith, by means of plates 40, rigidly secured to end plates 2Q and bearing against the ends of the roller. (See Fig. in which one only of said plates is l shown.) Having filled the liapan-trough, the

operator is simply required to keep the holes in the carrying-belt supplied with eyelets or other articles, the action of the machine,with y the exception of the placing of the eyelets in the holes in the belt, being' wholly automatic. Should eyelets or other articles pass to the iapanning-roller wrong end np or in any way improperly seated in holes in the carryingbelt, the japanning-roller will simply be lifted thereby through the swinging of end plates 22 on the shaft 16 of the feed-roller, so that no damage can be done either to the japanning-roller or to the carrying-belt and the eyelets will not be crushed, the ]apanning'- roller simply dropping' back to place by gravity the instant the improperly-seated eyelet or other article has passed.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. VIn a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of swinging end plates and a japanning-roller journaled in said end plates.

2. ln a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a i feed-roller, of a japanning-roller, swinging' IOC) lIOS

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end plates in which the japanning-roller is journaled whereby a feed-trough is formed by said feed -roller, japanning-roller and end plates, and means for driving said rollers.

3. In a machine ofv the character described, the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a japanning-roller, swinging end plates in which the japanning-roller is journaled, and means for driving the carrying-belt and the japanning-roller at the same surface speed and means for driving the feedroller at a slower surface speed, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a japanning-roller having a smooth surface and swinging end plates in which the japanning-roller is journaled.

5. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a japanning-roller and a laterally-movable supporting-plate on which the carrying-belt rests.

6. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a japanning-roller and a laterally-movable supporting-plate having ribs on which the belt rests and intermediate said ribs channels which receive the lower ends of eyelets or other articles carried by the belt.

7. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a japanning-roller, a laterallymovable supporting plate having ribs on which the belt rests and intermediate said ribs channels which receive the lower ends of eyelets or other articles carried by the belt and retaining-springs in said channels which bear against the articles carried by the belt and retain them against removal by the japanning-roller.

8. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt having holes to receive eyelets or other articles to be japanned and a feed-roller, of a japanningroller, a laterally-movable supporting-plate having ribs on which the belt rests and intermediate said ribs channels to receive the lower ends of eyelets or other articles carried by the belt and a retaining-spring in each channel which bears against one side of the eyelets in said channel and presses the other side against the carrying-belt to retain them against removal by the japanning-roller.

9. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a japanning-roller and a supporting-plate having ribs on which the belt rests and intermediate said ribs channels to re- Eeilve the lower ends of articles carried by said 10. Ina machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a and intermediate said ribs channels to receive the lower ends of articles carried by the belt and a rest under the japanning-roller which supports the belt and the articles carried thereby while they are being japanned.

11. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of aY japanning-roller, a supporting-plate having ribs on which the belt rests and intermediate said ribs channels to receive the lower ends of articles carried by the belt and a rest under the japanning-roller which is provided with corresponding ribs and channels.

12. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a japanning-roller, a supporting-plate having ribs on which the belt rests and intermediate said ribs channels to receive the lower ends of articles carried by the belt, a roller /t under the japanning-roller which supports the belt and the articles carried thereby while they are being japanned.

13. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a japanning-roller, a supporting-plate having ribs on which the belt rests and intermediate said ribs channels to receive the lower ends of articles carried by the belt and a transverse rest under the japanningroller which supports the belt and slightly raises the articles carried thereby at the instant the japanning operation is performed, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

14. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a japanning-roller, a supporting-plate having ribs on which the belt rests and intermediate said ribs channels to receive the lower ends of articles carried by the belt, supporting-lugs and rollers intermediate said lugs and the supporting-plate whereby the latter is permitted to oscillate laterally on the lugs.

15. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a laterally-movable japanningroller, a supporting-plate having ribs and channels, for the purpose set forth, a looselyjournaled ribbed and channeled roller under the japanning-roller and plates secured to the supporting-plate and bearing against the ends of said roller, whereby the latter is caused to move laterally with the supporting-plate.

16. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller, of a japanning-roller, end plates and boxes adjustably secured to the end plates in which the japanning-roller is journaled.

17. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and framework having longitudinal grooves in its inner faces to receive the edges of the belt loosely, of a feed-roller, swinging end plates,

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a japanning-roller adjnstably journaled in said end plates and a laterally-movable belt-supporting plate.

18. ln a machine of the character described the combination with a carrying-belt, framework having' grooves to receive said belt, and a feral-roller` ot' end plates, a japanning-roller adjnstablv journaled in said end plates, a laterally-movable supporting-plate having ribs b v which the belt is supported, and intermediate said ribs channels to receive articles carried by the belt and a similarly-grooved rest under the japanning-roller which supports the belt at the instant the japanning operation is performed.

19. ln a machine ot' the character described the combination with a carrying-belt and a feed-roller` of swingingend plates, a japanning'a'oller adjnstably journaled on said end plates, and a laterall,vmovable supportingplate having' ribs on which the belt rests, channels to receive the lower ends ot' articles carried by the belt and retaining-springs in said channels, substantiallyv as shown, for the purpose specified.

Q0. In a machine of the character described the combination with a carlgvingbelt and a feed-roller, otl a japanning-roller, a supporting-plate having ribs on which the belt rests and intermediate said ribs channels which receive the lower ends of eyelets or other articles carried by the beltand retaining-springs in said channels which bear against the articles carried by the belt and retain them against removal by the japanning-roller.

In testimony whereotl l a llix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS A. PERRIN S.

lVitnesses:

R. R. HEALEY, Geo. A. Divisie. 

